New In Town
by Aoi Dragon
Summary: So many villains come to Storybrooke. Here are a few unconnected drabbles and one-shots of possible future villains for Once Upon a Time. Canon pairings.
1. M

Aoi Dragon: It's just an idea that's been buzzing around my head since a) I've been wondering where the tech came from and b) too many magic users as OUAT villains. So, enjoy and R&R.

M* M* M* M* M* M*

It had been happening for a while, but no one noticed. It was like an absence, something missing. He smiled as he tinkered with the technology that would bring this silly little town to its knees. Hardly a challenge, but it kept him from getting... bored.

M* M* M* M* M* M*

Rumpelstiltskin strode through his shop, examining his inventory and switching out a few objects of interest from the back room. He waved a hand as some objects that had become obsolete in order to make them disappear. Nothing happened. With a frown, the Dark One cast the spell again. Still nothing. His eyes narrowed and he tried to ignite a flame in his hand. No fire, not even a spark. Rumpel tried various other spells with no results. So, as a last resort, he stopped behind the main showcase and stared at the box that contained his dagger. He waved his hand over the top of the box only to realize that without magic he couldn't get to his dagger.

"Rumpel," Belle came from the back room to see the scowl on his face, "Is something wrong?"

He turned to his True Love and gave her a small smile, "It's nothing to worry about, Belle."

She frowned, "Rumpel, you know that I always know when you're hiding something."

The Dark One nodded, "I do, but I assure you that you need not worry about it." He stepped toward her, "A mystery, yes, but nothing I can't handle."

Belle stared at him for a little longer before nodding, "Alright, I believe you. But if you need anything, you know you can come to me."

Rumpel smiled and tucked some of her brown hair behind her ear before stroking his fingers down her jaw line, "I do, and I will." He kissed her temple and gathered her in his arms. She smiled into his shoulder and held him close.

M* M* M* M* M* M*

Regina was out walking on the rocky beach with Roland while Robin did whatever it was he did with the Merry Men in the forest.

"Be careful Roland," She warned as the little boy climbed over some driftwood, "you don't want to fall."

" 'M okay, Geena." The boy smiled at her as he balanced on a log. His arms stretched out as he walked forward on the wood. Roland wobbled a little and Regina took a few steps toward him, her hand outstretched, ready to catch him if he fell. He kept his balance, though, and looked at her with a big grin, "See? I can do it!"

The former Evil Queen smiled at the boy, "Yes you can. You have very good balance."

Roland hopped off the log, "Yup." Then he sprinted down the beach. Regina watched him with an indulgent smile. Suddenly the little boy tripped and fell on the rocks. Before he began wailing, Regina was already next to him, kneeling to examine him. "G-G-Geena," He held his knee.

"It's alright Roland," She rolled up his pant leg, "A skinned knee. I can get this healed in no time." She stretched out her hand and concentrated on her love for the boy. She felt the magic course through her, but nothing happened.

"Geena, it hurts..." The boy whimpered through his tears.

"I know. I'll heal it." She replied softly and tried again, this time thinking of Robin. There was still nothing. Her eyes narrowed and she frowned as Roland sniffed. Regina did her best to not use dark magic anymore, but... She closed her eyes and tried to find her anger. Fire spread through her eagerly, and she again cast the spell. There was still nothing and Regina gnashed her teeth, anger building. Her magic wasn't working! She hadn't felt this helpless since Greg and Tamara had captured her by repressing her magic.

Roland sniffed again and rubbed his nose, "I feel better now, Geena. It don't hurt much anymore."

Regina reigned in her anger and frustration and ran her fingers through the boy's hair, "Are you sure Roland?"

"Uh huh."

She nodded and leaned over to kiss his kneecap just above the scrape, "That should make it feel a lot better."

The boy grinned, "Uh huh!" He rolled down his pant leg and stood, "Thanks Geena! You're the best!" He hopped up and looked around. His grin got even bigger when he spotted someone not too far away, "Papa!" He ran toward Robin, who stood on the grass father up the shore.

Regina was about to call after the boy to be careful, but she knew it was useless. She could only smile as she too approached Robin. Roland practically jumped into his father's arms.

The outlaw gave the former Evil Queen a smile, "Hello Regina. I hope Roland wasn't too much trouble."

She couldn't help but smile, "Never."

Robin leaned toward her and kissed her cheek, "Shall we go have lunch at Granny's?" He inquired to both his son and his love.

"YEAH!" Roland cried.

Regina smiled, "Of course."

As they started walking toward the diner, Regina took on a thoughtful expression. The outlaw frowned at her, "Is something wrong m'lady?"

She glanced to him and decided to tell him, "Roland skinned his knee and I tried to heal it."

"You didn't have to do that, Regina." Robin started, but furrowed his eyebrows at the look on her face, "There's something else, isn't there?"

The former Evil Queen nodded, "I couldn't heal the scrape." Robin's eyebrows rose, a cue for her to continue, "Light or dark magic, not one spell worked."

"What would cause this?"

"There are very few things in this world that can suppress magic." Regina informed them, "Although we've seen it before."

"Oh? When was that?"

"These people, minions of Peter Pan, came to town and brought with them technology that could suppress magic. They believed it came from Pan, but he had magic as well." Regina looked thoughtful, "I don't think he would create something that would be a danger to him. He must have gotten it from someone else."

"And you think that's what's happening right now?"

"Perhaps, but on a much larger scale."

Now Robin looked thoughtful, "Perhaps you should inform Snow and the others. If what you think is correct, then no one, not even the Dark One, can use magic right now."

Regina scowled at his suggestion, "I'm sure Rumpelstiltskin already knows and decided to keep it to himself. The Charmings on the other hand..."

"I know you still don't get along well with Snow and Miss Swan, but you could at least warn them."

The Mayor of Storybrooke sighed, "I suppose you're right. This is my town after all. I need to protect my citizens, even the ones I don't necessarily like."

Robin smiled and kissed her hair, "That'll do, my love."

Roland had been listening to their conversation the entire time, but not really understanding all of the big words. When his father kissed Regina, even if it was on her forehead, he would wrinkle his nose and bury his head in his father's shoulder.

Regina couldn't help but smile at her True Love, her Soul Mate, and his son as they headed to Granny's. In her head, she planned to tell Emma about the magical repression, but only because Robin requested it.

M* M* M* M* M*

Emma's eyes slowly opened to sunshine coming through her window. She stretched like a cat. Everything was perfect. She had her parents; she had her son; she had her pirate. Speaking of which, where was said pirate captain? He wasn't in their room. "Killian?" She called out. There was no answer, so she got out of bed to go look for him. In the hall, she called out again, "Killian?"

"In the kitchen, luv." He called back.

Emma smiled. He was making breakfast again. It had taken him a while to get use to the appliances in the kitchen, but he was apparently a fast learner. She padded into the kitchen and wrapped her arms around his waist, "Good morning."

Captain Hook turned to her with a grin, "Good morning, beautiful." He leaned down and captured her lips.

Once they parted, Emma murmured against his lips, "Making breakfast?"

"Aye." He replied, "I thought I'd make pancakes again."

"Hmmm... Sounds delicious." She leaned up and kissed him again. His hand raked though her hair.

He withdrew a bit later with a small chuckle, "Swan, if we continue like this, I don't believe we will be eating pancakes anytime soon." One of his eyebrows arched suggestively.

There was a knock on the door, and Emma silently groaned at the interruption. She quickly kissed her pirate again before leaving his embrace and heading for the door to her apartment.

Upon opening the door, Regina stood in the hall. Emma blinked, confused, "Regina, hey. What are you doing here?"

"I see you slept in again, Miss Swan." The Mayor said, striding in without an invitation.

"David's taking care of things at the station today." Emma replied as she closed the door, "I think I deserve some days off after everything that happened these past few months."

Regina pursed her lips as she scanned the room, "Where's the pirate?"

"Good morning, your majesty," Killian called from the kitchen.

She arched an eyebrow at Emma, who shrugged, "He's making breakfast."

"How domestic." Regina rolled her eyes slightly.

"Is Henry okay?" Emma asked. He had stayed with Regina so Emma could have a night to herself (and Killian).

"Nothing's wrong with Henry." Regina told her, "He's spending the day with Robin's Merry Men."

"Oh, well, that's good. I bet they're teaching him all kinds of Boy Scout type stuff." Emma shifted uncomfortably in her pjs.

"I think we have another problem."

"Seriously? Again?" The Savior gave an all suffering sigh, "We just finished with the last one! Who is it this time?"

"I don't know, but have you tried casting any spells recently?"

"No." At Regina's expectant look, Emma focused on her magic and flicked her fingers, trying to retrieve Killian's hook from his brace. The hook never appeared, and Emma frowned. She flicked her fingers and wrist, drawing on more power, but still, no hook appeared. "I can feel my magic, but none of the spells are working."

"I experienced the same thing earlier today." Regina explained, "The last time I felt something like this was with the cuff Greg and Tamara put on me."

"That cuff had to have been destroyed when Rumpelstiltskin died."

The former Evil Queen shook her head, "It's not the cuff, though. It feels similar, but it's much more widespread. I can't cast here or anywhere in town. Something is blocking magic throughout Storybrooke."

"Didn't this technology belong to Pan?" Emma questioned, remembering that he had used the cuff on Rumpel and claimed it was his.

"Pan relied on magic too, Miss Swan." Regina refuted, "He knows nothing about science. Greg told me there were nano-probes within the cuff that were working to block my magic. The Enchanted Forest never relied on science."

"Then maybe we need to talk to Doctor Whale. He knows science. I mean, he's Doctor Frankenstein."

"That would be a good place to start." Regina agreed, "I would like to get this resolved as soon as possible."

"I'll have breakfast and then meet you in an hour at the hospital to talk to Doctor Whale." Emma told the former Evil Queen.

"I could just go do this myself. It would save us a lot of time."

"Yeah, I guess you could do that." The Savior considered for a moment before nodding, "Yeah, you know Whale better than I do. See what he knows about this kind of science. I'll meet you outside Granny's in an hour."

"Alright, Miss Swan." Regina gave a curt nod, "I'll see you then."

"Thanks for letting me know about this, Regina." Emma said, opening the door for her son's adoptive mother.

She paused and looked at her son's birthmother, "It's the right thing to do - for Henry."

"Yeah." Emma smiled, "See you in an hour." She closed the door when Regina began walking back down the hallway.

"Everything alright, luv?" Killian asked, coming out of the kitchen, "I couldn't help but overhear. Something's blocking everyone's magic."

Emma heaved a sigh, "Yeah, looks like the next bad guy's rolled into town."

The pirate captain took his love in an embrace, "Aye, but I believe there's still time for breakfast."

"Oh yeah. Always time for breakfast." She gave him a smile and leaned up to kiss him.

M* M* M* M* M* M*

Regina stood in the main lobby of the hospital waiting for Emma to arrive. The Savior - sarcasm echoed in her mental voice - was running late. Ten minutes later, Emma arrived in her bug with her pirate in tow. Although he'd shed his pirate clothes and gone more modern, save the hook.

Regina pursed her red lips, "It's about time, Miss Swan."

Emma blushed a little, "Sorry. I filled Killian in on what's been happening."

"Of course you did." The former Evil Queen answered, as she turned on her heel and marched to the main nurse's station. "I need to speak with Doctor Whale - now."

The nurse, a timid young woman, shrunk back, "Yes, Madame Mayor." She took up the intercom, "Paging Doctor Whale to the hospital lobby. It's very important. Paging Doctor Whale to the hospital lobby." The nurse looked back to Regina, "He'll be here in a moment."

"Fine." The former evil queen turned back to Emma and Hook. The pirate was fiddling with the material of his clothes, obviously not use to the cloth. It was disconcerting seeing him looking like a relatively normal person from the Land Without Magic. He almost looked normal - except the hook.

Moments later, Doctor Whale appeared and he didn't look pleased, "Ah, Madame Mayor. To what do I owe the pleasure?" He asked. Then he noticed Emma and Hook, "Sherriff. Captain." He gave each of them a nod, "What's going on?"

Emma stepped forward, "Someone is blocking magic in Storybrooke."

Whale's eyebrows went up, "And what's that got to do with me?"

"You know science, Doctor," Regina retorted, "I've encountered similar science before. Nanoprobes. I want to know what you know about it."

"Nanoprobes?" Doctor Whale frowned, "Now that's something I haven't heard about in a long time. I never studied them myself. There are interesting theories behind them if the technology is compatible. However, my realm couldn't achieve such things. You might want to ask Jefferson. He's more widely travelled than any of us, save perhaps Rumpelstiltskin."

"Jefferson didn't return with the second curse." Emma told him.

The doctor shrugged, "Well then I guess you're out of luck, unless you want to go to the Pawn Shop and ask Mr. Gold about it. I must get back to work. Good day." He nodded his head before walking back to the main hospital.

"Well, that was a waste of time." Emma grumbled.

"I'm sure the crocodile will be oh so forthcoming with answers." Hook added in a tone of agreement.

"Pan was his father. Maybe he disclosed some clue about where he got the tech from." Emma said.

"Fine. Let's trek to Rumpelstiltskin." Regina scowled on her way out.

M* M* M* M* M* M*

"Have you tried using your magic recently?" Emma asked bluntly as she entered the pawn shop with Regina.

"Most people knock when they enter a building that says 'closed'." The Dark One replied.

Emma took a step back and rapped on the doorframe, "Have you been able to use your magic?" Killian stepped in behind her, trying to hide his amusement.

Rumpel stared at her shrewdly, "I gather you have not, otherwise you wouldn't be here asking stupid questions."

"I'll take that as a yes, and that it didn't work." Emma concluded, "Look, we're just trying to figure out what's going on."

"Whoever is behind this suppression of magic knows it well." Gold agreed, "They can't use magic themselves, so they want us on equal footing."

Emma exchanged a glance with Regina who just gave the Dark One a sour look, "What do you know about it?" The former evil queen asked.

"This person made the technology that Pan gave to Greg and Tamara." Gold explained, "I don't know who or what he is, but he is not from any world I have ever visited. I would remember someone this creative and dangerous."

"And once again we're back to square one." Emma huffed.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that, dearie." Rumpel replied, "Very few realms have this sort of technology. There are only a select few where Pan would've had access that would also have the technology."

"Let me guess - we'd have to ask Jefferson."

"That is, unfortunately correct."

"Well, he didn't come back with the rest of them." Killian scowled at his nemesis, "So what are we supposed to do?"

"Well, you could investigate the disappearances rather than concentrating on the lack of magic." Rumpel sneered at the pirate.

"You seem awfully unconcerned by the loss of your magic." Regina glared.

"We all still have our magic internally," The Dark One told her, "There is just no longer an outlet."

"I'm sure you've found a way around that." Killian muttered.

Rumpel sent him a dark look, "I am sorry I can't help you more. Perhaps the best thing you can do is alert the town to what's happening. Then perhaps the disappearances would cease."

"Disappearances?" Emma questioned. No one had called in a missing person.

"Ah yes, you wouldn't have been alerted." The Dark One smirked, "Some of the insignificant folk have vanished from Storybrooke."

"And how do you know this and we don't?" Regina asked.

"I am observant." He shot back, "I know every face in this town whether they were here during the first curse or joined in the second."

Emma and Regina exchanged a look before the Sherriff looked to the pirate. The Savior sighed, "Fine. A town meeting it is."

M* M* M* M* M* M*

"I know everyone is worried about the people who have disappeared. I am too, but panicking is not going to help us find them. We are investigating and will find every missing person. We're not sure if this is connected to other matters," Emma announced to the crowd, her parents and her pirate stood by her side. "but we do know this is not being caused by a witch or wizard. We will figure this out and we will catch this guy."

Suddenly everyone's cell phone beeped and a very interesting text message appeared. Emma looked at hers:

_ "Dear me, little swan, things are just about to get interesting. Let the game begin. I look forward to playing. ~M"_

"Emma," Snow showed her daughter her text message.

It read:

_ "Helloooooooo Storybrooke! ~M"_

Emma's lips thinned. Whoever this M-guy was, he was going down.

M* M* M* M* M* M*

Aoi Dragon: Your task is to try to guess who "M" is. :D Although with some of the phrases, I think I made it obvious.


	2. Prince of Darkness

**Aoi Dragon: My second one shot. Here's another villain's arrival in Storybrooke. Can you guess who it is?**

**-vv-**

The mist began to roll out from the Storybrooke docks as Grumpy made his way to his boat. He had known that the pirate had commandeered it several times, but the thing was, he had brought it back in better shape than it had been in before, so the dwarf didn't mind.

As Grumpy strode down the docks, he noticed a speck in the distance, coming out of the retreating fog. He squinted, trying to make out what it was as it floated closer. After a few moments, he could make out a tall mast and tattered sails. It was an old time ship, like a pirate ship. Pirate ship... It must be Hook's ship!

After staring for a moment longer, making sure the ship wasn't some sort of hallucination, the dwarf took out his cell phone and dialed the Sherriff.

"Sherriff Emma Swan. What's the emergency?" She asked, her voice a little sleepy.

"Listen, sister, I think Hook's ship is coming into the harbor," Grumpy told her, "but I think something's wrong with her. She's drifting and the sails are cut to ribbons."

"We'll be down there is a few minutes." Emma answered immediately.

True to her word, the Sherriff was at the docks moments later with Hook in tow. The pirate took out a spyglass and aimed it toward the ship that was slowly nearing Storybrooke. "Aye, that's her." He breathed as he lowered the spyglass, a frown on his face, "Looking a bit worse for wear too. What the bloody hell did he do to my ship!" He ground his teeth.

"Leroy," Emma addressed the dwarf, "can we take your boat out and tow the Jolly into the harbor?"

"Sure," He shrugged, "Don't see why not."

After attaching ropes to the Jolly's bow, Emma and Killian brought the ship in until it rested comfortably against the side of one of the longer docks. Before anyone could get a word in, Killian had swung to the Jolly. Seconds later, a plank bridged between the two ships.

"You coming, Swan?" He asked, an eyebrow arched for good measure.

She smiled a little and crossed the gangplank. She jumped down on the deck and immediately frowned. Not a soul was on board. She looked over to Killian and saw that his brows were furrowed and a deep frown on his face, "Something's wrong." She stated.

"Aye. I'd have to agree with you." He nodded, his hand reached for the hilt of his sword - which was no longer there since he'd taken to wearing modern clothes. His hand dropped back to his side and his jaw worked a little as he decided what to do. Finally, he turned to Emma, "Let's have a look around."

Emma drew her gun, just in case. "Helm?"

"Aye."

They could easily see the helm from where they stood and it looked - odd. As they neared, Emma sucked in a breath at the sight before her, "Oh my god."

A man had lashed himself to the wheel. His eyes were wide and white and his throat had been torn out.

"So it wasn't him who ruined my ship." Killian murmured and looked to Emma, "You alright there, Swan?"

"Yeah, it's just..."

"Quite gruesome, I know." He nodded.

"Yeah."

"We should cut him loose and give him a proper burial before we leave."

"Yeah." Emma swallowed before reaching up and shutting the captain's eyes.

"Shall we look at the rest of the ship?"

Without answering, Emma headed down to the main deck. She shuddered a little and felt Killian put his hand on her shoulder before caressing her arm. She turned and saw the concern etched into his features. She gave him a small smile, "I'm fine. I just -"

"It's alright, Swan." His hand came up and brushed across her cheek. "Come, follow me to the hold. Then the crew quarters, galley, and captain's quarters."

"Okay." She followed him down through a hatch to the cargo hold.

It was dark and damp in the hold, and it smelled more of earth than the sea. Then there was a squeak.

"What the devil?!" Killian exclaimed in the dim light. Rats seemed to come out of every nook and cranny of the ship and flee through the open hatch. "Blasted vermin." He growled.

"That was a lot of rats." Emma managed to say as she stood stock still right behind the pirate, "Are there usually that many on a ship?"

"No. Someone didn't care enough to not to pick up the things in port." The pirate answered, "but even the most incompetent ship captains wouldn't have that many rats on a ship. The food would never last."

Emma took out her lighter then and flicked the flame to life. She could see a bit better and the scene made her frown in confusion, "A box of earth? What the hell?"

"Perhaps they were trafficking in rare fertilizer." Killian suggested, but he looked just as confused as Emma felt. He squatted near the dirt and picked it up. He rolled it in his fingers and smelled it.

"What are you doing?"

"Some soils have a very distinct smell." He answered, "I was trying to discern if I had encountered this soil before."

"And?"

"No."

"Back to square one." Emma sighed. "Ow!" She dropped her lighter into the dirt when the flame burned her fingers.

"Why not just use your magic, love?" Killian asked, his voice a bit amused. He reached out for her hand in the dark and took her burned fingers in his own. He gently kissed the irritated skin.

"Magic comes with a price." Emma answered, "And using the lighter is more autopilot than anything else."

He nodded and picked up the lighter himself, "I believe we don't need to see any more of the cargo hold. Shall we go to the crew quarters?"

"Sure. Hopefully there won't be any more surprises."

"Aye."

The crew quarters were empty and relatively clean, so Emma and Killian made their way to the captain's quarters.

"He must have kept a log of his travels." Killian explained, "It may give us clues as to what's happened here."

As they entered the room Emma had to smile a little, "Just as I remember it."

"I had imagined taking you here under quite different circumstances," Killian admitted, with a bit of a rakish smile. His tongue trailed along his lower lip and Emma had to roll her eyes at his antics.

"Maybe another time, Captain. We have work to do."

"As you wish, love." Killian bowed ever so slightly, still smirking. He then strode over to a bookshelf near the desk and trailed his fingers over a few of the more recent logs, "Ah. Here we are."

He opened to the first page and searched for the last entry.

__~~a~~__

_We picked up the cargo - a box of earth we've been told. We're to transport it across the sea to Agrabah where another ship will take it to its final destination. Why there needs to be such secrecy is beyond me._

___~~a~~___

_Mears is starting to hallucinate. The long journey seems to have taken a toll on his mind and he's seeing shadows. He startles whenever he finds himself near one and trembles like a frightened puppy. We have relieved him of duty for the time being and are allowing him to rest._

_Addendum: Mears is dead. We don't know how or why, but he was found after the midnight watch returned._

___~~a~~___

_Whatever had infected Mears has now passed to Tolan. I can only put him on bed rest and hope for the best._

___~~a~~___

_Tolan continues to worsen. We still have two months voyage remaining. If this disease cannot be cured, we will have to quarantine until it dissipates._

_Addendum: Tolan is dead._

___~~a~~___

_The pestilence spreads. Morris, Jetson, Locke, all dead. What is happening on my ship!?_

___~~a~~___

_I am the only one left. I'm seeing shadows everywhere. My comrades, my friends, they torture me in my sleep. So I haven't slept in three days. I shall lash myself to the ship's wheel. If it comes for me tonight, I shall welcome death and hope this ship finds her way to someone who can fight this pestilence._

_Captain Christopher L. Brahams_

__~~a~~__

Killian closed the log. Emma had been reading over his shoulder and he tilted his head toward her, "What do you think, lass?"

"I think we need to get the town together. If what captain Brahams says it true, we've got a new villain on our hands."

"Any idea who it might be, love?"

Emma's brows furrowed thoughtfully, "Maybe. I'll actually have to ask Belle. She'd know."

As they made their way off the ship Emma spotted something strange on the docks. A large black wolf sat watching them. As soon as it knew she'd spotted it, the wolf turned tail and sprinted around the corner of a building.

Emma blinked a little, wanting to follow the wolf. She took two steps toward the side of the ship, "Swan, where are you going?"

She blinked, coming back to her senses. Emma shook her head, "I thought I saw... never mind. It's not important." She turned back to Killian, "Let's go." She walked down the gangplank that Killian had set down.

The pirate followed, a bit worried about Emma and the trance-like state she had been in just moments before he'd called to her. Things were adding up and they were not looking good.


	3. The Return of Jafar

**Aoi Dragon: Now, I actually name the villain in this one. I also put some quotes from the movie of the same name in here. I hope they do something like this. It would be awesome to see Jafar again. Please read and review! If you have suggestions or requests, put them in your review and I'll see what my mind comes up with for that villain. I already have two more planned. :) Enjoy!**

**R*o*J**

The stout man in the turban stood next to the rabbit hole and rubbed the bottle. "We're here. Come out. I want my wishes."

A tall man in black emerged in a cloud of black smoke. He waved his hand and a black snake staff appeared in his hand, "And you shall have them. However, first I must have my revenge."

"Oh yes, yes. Of course." The man with the turban said.

Then some other people (a blonde woman who shone with power and some others who were strangely dressed) approached, "Hey!" The blonde woman shouted and pointed a strange item at them as if it were a weapon, "Who the hell are you guys?"

The man with the snake staff swept his gaze over the group and spotted his target, "Ah, Knave. I've been looking for you. Where is dear Alice? I would love to see her and her genie again."

Will Scarlet glared at the sorcerer-turned-genie, "What do you want Jafar?"

"Jafar? Seriously?" The blonde stared in disbelief.

Jafar turned to her, "Oh... Interesting." His dark eyes glinted with greed, "I have never seen the likes of you before." Suddenly he was in front of her with the nose of the snake staff under her chin, tilting her head up, "You are quite powerful. Who are you?"

"Sheriff Emma Swan." She replied defiantly, "And I think you should step away before I make you."

An amused look crossed Jafar's face. "I am a genie, Miss Swan. You cannot harm me." However he still retreated a few steps, "So, Knave, you've made some powerful friends. Abis-mal here is my new friend, and you know how much I care for my friends."

"What do you want Jafar?" Will grit out.

Abis-mal had been muttering for a while and when he raised his voice his statement was a little startling, "Oh! I know, I could wish for the treasure chest of King Malacum!"

Jafar flicked his fingers and in Abis-mal's place was a shaking treasure chest. With another flick, Jafar released him, "Oh, I am dreadfully sorry. I thought that was your wish! Are you quite alright?" He put a hand on the man's shoulder.

Abis-mal gasped -"No, I am not quite alri-"

"Wonderful!" Jafar interrupted, "Good to see all is well." He turned back to the inhabitants of this strange little town, "As you can see, I want nothing but the best for my friend. However, I would like to see Alice. Where is she?"

"'Fraid you're a bit late for that." Will said, "She's in another realm, far away from here."

Jafar's eyes narrowed, "Then perhaps I shall just have to make do with this quaint little town and its inhabitants." His gaze returned to the Sheriff, "I'm sure I can find something useful in this town."

"There's nothing here that'll allow you to change the laws of magic." Will growled at him, "You don't want to cross some of the people here."

"Oh? And who exactly is here that could threaten me?"

Will kept quiet at that. He would never reveal Rumpelstiltskin's existence to Jafar. Let the Dark One be a surprise.

"Hmmm... I see. Well, perhaps my friend and I can explore a little." Jafar gave a snake-like grin before he and Abis-mal vanished in a swirl of black smoke.

"Where's Aladdin when you need him." Emma huffed as she lowered her gun.

"At least we have the Dark One on our side, love." Killian reassured her.

"And Regina." Snow added, "I think with the three of you, you can handle Jafar."

Will didn't look so sure, "Jafar's a bloody genie! He's got phenomenal cosmic powers and his goal is to change the laws of magic. He succeeded once in Wonderland. It's was purely luck that we stopped him!"

"Looks like you've got a story to tell, Will." Emma told him.


	4. The Swan Princess

**Aoi Dragon: Another one shot where I name the villain. However, I don't think ****_Once Upon a Time _****can use this villain because the rights to the subject matter belong(ed) to Don Bluth and his animation company. Still, enjoy! R&R.**

Emma had a dream. She dreamt that she was a princess living in a castle. It looked familiar, like something out of a Disney movie or maybe that other guy who did _The Land Before Time_ and _Anastasia_.

She wore a white dress with green trim when it happened. She and her parents were riding in a carriage through the woods, away from another failed suitor because she had known a long time ago that she loved someone else. A flash of blue eyes crossed her mind, but she had to push that away. The Lieutenant was gone, he had gone down with his brother and his ship. Her heart had broken on that day, inconsolable.

Emma had loved him, this Lieutenant, and she hadn't even known it until he was gone. Now all of her suitors who tried to woo her could not get past her walls and, because she wasn't receptive to their charms, rejected her. Even this last one, Prince Derek.

There was a bump in the road and suddenly the guards' horses went into a panic, screaming. A roar resounded through the woods and Emma froze. She looked to her parents, both of whom had retrieved weapons - her father had his sword and her mother had a knife.

"Stay here." He said, "I'll take care of this." He climbed out of the carriage.

Unable to see anything, Emma and her mother waited in tense silence. Then the agonized scream of her father echoed through the woods.

"Charming!" Her mother bolted out of the carriage. Her own scream soon followed.

Emma clenched her fists; she needed to do something. So, she got out of the carriage and turned to face... a great beast. She looked for her parents. They lay on the ground, broken, battered, and bloody, but still alive. The creature laughed at her as it approached.

"Emma, get out of here." Her father rasped, "Run! Run!"

But Emma was stalk still in the path. The creature swirled with dark magic to reveal... a man.

"YOU!" Her mother spat, trying to get up, "How dare you!"

"Ah, ah, ah, little bandit queen." The wizard shook a gloved finger, "If you aggravate those injuries, you won't live long enough to, well, live." He chuckled darkly before turning his dark gaze to Emma, "My, my, my, what a beautiful swan you have as a daughter." He grinned, "Perhaps I'll take her as my prize when I take over your kingdom."

"You... you..." Her father growled, groping for his sword, which was nowhere near him.

"Hmmm... On second thought, I think I'll take my prize right," He snapped his fingers and Emma's world suddenly got a lot bigger, "now."

"Emma!" Her father shouted as the wizard snapped his fingers again and the world disappeared into a puff of black smoke.

~~~SWAN~~~

Emma awoke with a gasp. She instantly realized she wasn't in her bed. As sleep cleared from her mind, she realized that she felt strange. She looked down, craning her neck, which felt much longer than it was supposed to. What she saw started her more than anything she'd ever experienced.

"No." She tried to say, but it came out as a strangled honk.

A dark chuckle came from not far away, "Looks like the beautiful swan is awake." The wizard from her dream stepped out from the darkness, "Let's have a little chat, shall we." With a wave of his hand, she was human again.

"Who the hell are you!?" Were the first words out of Emma's mouth.

With a sweeping bow, he replied, "I am Lord Rothbart."

"Where are we?"

"Oh, not far from that precious little town of yours."

"Fine. I'm leaving." Emma moved to sweep past him, but was suddenly frozen to the spot where she stood.

Rothbart gave a dark smile, "Oh, beautiful swan. If you leave this place, your transformation will be permanent." With a wave of his hand, she began to shrink, "Now, just be a good little swan and swim in this pond I've created for you. I will have your hand and your kingdom if it's the last thing I do. Oh, and by the way, don't try contacting your loved ones. True Love's Kiss will not work on this magic since it's not a curse, but a transfiguration, like lycanthropy only more controlled. And, of course, to make matters even more difficult, it is **you** who must make a vow of everlasting love to break this spell. It cannot be familial. It must be romantic. And from what I've seen, you don't love anyone that much. Farewell, swan."

Emma honked curses at the wizard as he left. What was she going to do?


	5. Once Upon a Sleepy Hollow

**Aoi Dragon: This is a crossover with the show _Sleepy Hollow._ This story actually started with Crane and Killian bonding over knowing nothing about modern technology. Then it changed completely into what you see before you. Any reference to pairings are from canon. I hope you enjoy! R&R!**

**ONCE UPON A SLEEPY HOLLOW**

Just outside of Granny's Diner, a portal had opened in the middle of the street and a horse and rider in leather sprang out. The rider had no head. He galloped off into the woods with a screech.

Emma, Killian, and David were on the scene in an instant. Emma and her father had their guns drawn and Killian had his hand on his cutlass.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Killian asked.

David's eyes shifted to the pirate, "I think it might have been a headless horseman."

"Really? He's real too?" Emma said, exasperated.

The prince frowned, "Not that I've heard of." He glanced at Killian, who shrugged.

The portal kept on swirling and two more bodies fell out – young black woman and a man whose clothes looked out of place in the modern setting. He got to his knees first, shaking his head. His brown hair was tied loosely in a half ponytail.

He shook his companion, "Miss Mills, Lieutenant." He had an accent, like Killian's or Gold's, considering he pronounced Lieutenant as "Lef-tenant." When the woman groaned, a small smile flitted across the man's face and he relaxed a little.

"Ow. What the hell was that?" The woman sat up and rubbed her head.

"I'm not certain." He looked up then, "Although it looks like we have the company of the local law enforcement." He then looked behind them and saw the portal close. "Also, I believe the portal that sent us here is no longer accessible."

"Well that's just great." The woman harrumphed, "And the horseman?"

"Gone. I didn't see where." He replied, "Are you alright?"

"Sure." She looked up at their audience, "Hi – uh… You're probably wondering what the hell just happened, huh?"

Emma frowned at the both of them. The way the woman held herself and the fact that the man had addressed her as a Lieutenant said either police or military, "I think we know exactly what happened. So, tell me, what realm are you from? The Enchanted Forest? Oz? Horror Movie Land?"

The woman blinked, "Uh… what?"

"Perhaps introductions are in order, Miss Mills." The man stood and brushed himself off, his cool gray gaze shifting from Emma to the two men flanking her. "My name is Ichabod Crane. My companion is Abigail Mills."

"Call me Abbie." She interjected as she stood.

"Seriously? That was really THE Headless Horseman?" Emma's eyes widened, "What's next? Dracula?"

"I beg your pardon?" The man, Ichabod Crane, looked confused, "I'm not sure what Vlad the Impaler has to do with all of this…"

"Dracula's a fictional vampire." Abbie explained.

"Ah…"

Killian muffled a laugh with a cough, but Emma still glared at him. He gave her an innocent smile, "You shouldn't be surprised anymore, Swan, considering all the villains we've fought."

"I'm just hoping that one day, ONE of the stories isn't true in some other place." She sighed, lowered her gun, and returned it to its holster. David had done so after he'd deemed the newcomers as friendlies. "I'm Sheriff Emma Swan. This is my deputy, David Nolan, and my…" She hesitated.

"Captain Killian Jones." He replied with a mild bow.

Crane's eyebrows rose, "Where are you from in England? Your accent is quite unique."

Killian gave a grin, "Well, I'm quite the unique individual."

Emma sent the pirate a glare and said, "It's a really long story. Just like yours, I bet. What's up with the Headless Horseman?"

Crane shifted slightly before he replied, "Perhaps a more private establishment would be appropriate for this discussion. I surmise that our story may be just as long as yours."

The group returned to Granny's Diner, where Snow was waiting for them with baby Neal. She looked up, "So?"

"Well, we've got Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman and Lieutenant Abbie Mills." David explained as he slid into the booth next to her.

"From Sleepy Hollow?" Snow's eyebrows raised.

"Yup. Looks like." Emma answered, "Hey Ruby," She got the waitress' attention, "can we get some extra chairs?"

"Sure thing, Emma." The werewolf answered and brought two more chairs for Crane and Abbie, and she handed them menus in case they wanted to order something.

"So," Emma said, "What's your story?"

Crane explained their situation with the Headless Horseman, one of the four from the apocalypse, as well as his wife, who was still in the world they had come from and hadn't made it through the portal.

"Wow…" Emma said, "That's – that's really something. Apocalypse. We haven't really had that. Villains, yes - apocalypse, kind of, but it wouldn't have been global, you know?"

"You seemed to be surprised that I was a real person," Crane said, "yet you didn't express the same disbelief in Miss Mills."

"Well, Sleepy Hollow's a story here in this world."

"Yeah, you mentioned that before." Abbie said, "Aren't we still on Earth?"

"You came through a portal," Emma replied, "meaning you crossed realms or dimensions, or whatever you want to call it. So, this can't be your Earth."

Abbie paused, "Okay, so what makes this Earth different from mine?"

"Outside of Storybrooke," David told them, "there is no magic. At all."

Crane's brows furrowed, "If what you say is true, then why is this town exclusive to magic?"

"Because they're – we're – not really from this world either." Emma told them.

"What?" Abbie looked really surprised as Crane simply stared in disbelief, "Okay, that's not possible. You look human!"

Emma snorted, "Yeah, we are, but I don't think we introduced ourselves the right way for you to get what I mean. So maybe we should reintroduce ourselves." She looked to David.

He gave her an exasperated look and began, "Emma introduced me as David Nolan, but back home, in the Enchanted Forest, I was known as Prince Charming," He turned to his wife, "and this is my wife, Snow."

"You've got to be kidding me." Abbie gaped.

Crane considered as he observed them and Snow gave them a serene smile, "I suppose with what I've experienced it could be possible."

"You can't possibly believe this!" Abbie looked to her partner.

"Miss Mills, we have just fallen through a portal to another world." Crane chided, "It is entirely possible that Snow White and Prince Charming are real in some world or another."

"This entire town's full of fairytale and fictional characters." Emma said, "I didn't believe at first either. It took my son falling under a sleeping curse to get me to believe, and then the whole thing kind of smacked me in the face when I fell through the Mad Hatter's hat to the Enchanted Forest."

"But I thought the Mad Hatter was from _Alice in Wonderland_." Abbie frowned.

Emma shrugged, "Jefferson's well traveled."

"Okay, so if those two are Snow White and Prince Charming," the Lieutenant continued, "Then who are the two of you? Princess Aurora and Prince Philip?"

Emma flushed a little, "Uh no. I'm just Emma. Emma Swan. I – " She hesitated before motioning to her parents, "I'm their daughter."

"Bull." Abbie blurted.

"There was a curse that brought them to this world and kept them frozen in the town for twenty eight years while I lived in the outside world, growing up." Emma explained quickly.

"So, that explains you." Abbie still didn't look like she believed Emma completely, "What about him?"

Killian gave a dashing grin, and the spark in his eyes told Emma that he was up to something, "Well, my name is Killian Jones, as Emma said, but I wasn't part of the original curse. I came here after it was broken. However, most people call me by my more colorful moniker –" He raised his left hand and his hook glinted off the light. His grin got bigger. "Hook."

"Hook?!" Abbie looked incredulous.

"Hook?" Crane questioned.

"As in Captain Hook?" Abbie asked, trying to make sure she got the right character.

Killian smiled, "So you've heard of me."

"Everyone's heard of you," Emma rolled her eyes at him.

He made a face, "You mean that buffoon from the moving picture? He's not near handsome enough, nor dashing enough to be me."

"A pirate?" Crane guessed, his eyes flitting to Killian's earring.

"Aye. What of it, mate?" Killian gave the man a harsh gaze.

Crane said, "From my limited experience, most royals do not consort with pirates, and I'm not your mate." Killian's hand curled into a fist, and Emma laid her hand on top of his. Crane easily noticed and looked thoughtful.

"He's supposed to be a villain! And why's he hanging out with Snow White and Prince Charming?" Abbie interjected, "And there's a crossover I never thought I'd see."

"My apologies, but it seems that once again, I'm not entirely sure what this is about." Crane looked to his companion.

"Hook's the villain from a book called _Peter Pan_." Abbie explained while Killian muttered about how 'bloody inaccurate' the story was, "It was published after your time." Then she looked to Emma, "If Hook's here, what about Pan? Is he here?"

Emma's expression turned hard, "He's dead and good riddance."

"Aye, we're all glad that demon's dead," Killian nodded, his expression grim.

Abbie blinked, "So Pan was… evil? Does that make Hook good?"

Emma smiled at her pirate, "He's good now."

"I believe, if we are to understand their situation," Crane said, "we should start from the very beginning."

"Okay," Emma thought for a moment, "Wow, it seems like forever ago that this started, but I guess it all began on my 28th birthday when my son showed up at my door."


	6. Trickster

**Aoi Dragon: So, I've been having a very interesting conversation with a reviewer about Hook/Killian. She's not a big fan of his character, and we've been talking about our differing opinions and interpretations. This conversation really inspired me to look deeper into one aspect of her argument: the lame apology Hook gave Belle before they spent the day researching. I agreed that Belle deserved a much better apology than the one she was given in the show, so, enter the Trickster (partially inspired by a request to do Loki, although I'm sure that reviewer meant Tom Hiddleston's Loki and not Richard Speight Jr.'s Loki... so that means I'll probably have to figure out how to do Marvel Loki too. Fun!).**

**Enjoy!**

**T*R*I*C*K*S*T*E*R**

Killian awoke to a bright, sunny day. Today he would see Emma. Today would be a calm, glorious day. There were no villains to fight, no monsters to destroy. He could finally spend time with Emma and have no interruptions.

He went down to Granny's for breakfast, meeting Emma there. She gave him a smile and a kiss, "Good morning." She said.

He kissed her back eagerly, "Morning, love."

"Come on. Let's sit down and order." She said, taking his hand and pulling him to a booth.

Killian couldn't help but smile. She had finally opened up to him and accepted him. He glanced around the diner and saw other patrons enjoying their breakfast. The door opened with a tinkle and the Crocodile walked in with Belle on his arm.

The man's dark eyes met the pirate's as they found a table and sat down. A sense of foreboding spread through Killian's stomach. Something was wrong.

"Killian, are you listening to me?" Emma asked.

"Sorry love." His eyes flicked back to the Crocodile, who was watching them, "I'm a bit distracted."

Emma's eyes followed his gaze, "Gold? Seriously? What's wrong?"

"I'm not entirely sure." He muttered. Then the pawnbroker stood and began approaching them. Killian stiffened, "He's coming over here."

"Yeah, so what? I'm pretty sure he's just going to say hello." Emma looked back down at her menu.

Gold stopped at their table, "Miss Swan. Pirate. How are you this fine day."

"I'm fine." Emma answered.

"Crocodile." Killian grit out.

The Dark One considered for a moment, "You know, I never got to repay you for that night on the road. I suppose I should cash in right now." His hand shot out, became translucent and entered Emma's head.

"What the bloody hell are you doing!?" Killian shouted, trying to stand. However, just like with Milah, he couldn't move, "Crocodile, let me go! Let go of Emma!" The pirate frantically searched for help, but it looked like everyone else was frozen as well.

Gold grinned maliciously, "This is for what you did to Belle." He removed his hand from Emma's head. Within his grasp was a small, glowing ball. He slowly crushed it, "And now she can say goodbye to her memories."

"No!" Killian shouted.

Gold sneered, "I'm only showing you what it feels like to lose the one you love." His dagger appeared in his hand, "And now for the final touch."

"NO!" The pirate struggled against the magic that held him down.

The knife went down and pierced Emma's shoulder. Gold smiled, vanished the dagger, "And only you will know it was me. Do you really think they'll believe you when I've done so much more to earn my redemption."

"I will kill you." Killian ground out.

Gold laughed, "You can try, but if you succeed, you will only hurt the ones you love, and you don't want that, do you Killian Jones." He grinned again, but it faltered for a moment, "I'm sorry…." He directed at Emma. Then the maniacal gleam returned as he went back to his seat.

The magic released. Emma slumped forward. Killian was at her side in an instant. "Swan –" He murmured.

Her eyes fluttered open, "Who… who are you?"

Killian's heart stopped. The Crocodile really did take her memories.

"Where… where am I? What's going on?" She had that lost girl look that he hadn't seen since she'd solved the map in Neverland.

"Swan…"

"Who's Swan?!" She jerked away from him only to scream at her wound. Everyone in the diner looked to their Savior. Then Emma stared at him, " You… You must have done this?! Get away from me!" She scooted back in the seat as blood flowed from her shoulder, "Somebody help me!"

Killian withdrew, his heart shattering as the woman he loved looked at him with fear and hatred.

The last thing he saw was a stranger who was eating a sugar glazed donut staring at them. Then everything went black.

**T**R*I*C*K*S*T*E*R

Killian awoke with a gasp. It was a bright, sunny day. His heart hurt as he remembered what just happened. Emma, his Emma, didn't remember him. Her fire, her… everything. Gone. And all because of the Crocodile. Hatred and anger coursed through him, and he knew what he had to -… He stopped that train of thought. No. Emma would not want that. He would refrain from killing the Crocodile.

Sluggishly, he readied himself for the day and made his way down to the diner. He sat down at a booth and began perusing the menu as if it was any other day and that the love of his life still remembered him.

"Killian?" A voice startled him from his ruminations and he looked up. His heart stuttered at the sight in front of him. Emma, his Swan, stood before him, wearing the same clothes she had yesterday.

"Swan…" He breathed, stood, and took her in his arms, "You remember."

"Remember?" She asked, although she hugged him back.

"Gods, I'm so glad it was all a dream." He held her tighter.

The bell on the door tinkled, and Killian went still. The Crocodile and Belle entered. Clenching his fist he drew back from Emma, "Let's get out of here, Swan."

"But I thought we were going to have breakfast?" The Savior looked at him, confused.

"I know, but –" He hesitated, scratching behind his ear, "we can return in a little bit. Come." Killian took her hand and practically dragged Emma out the door.

"Killian!" Emma wrenched her hand from his grip once they were outside, "What's gotten in to you?"

The pirate's eyes flicked over her shoulder to Granny's. Gold was not following them, so he relaxed a little and told her, "I had a nightmare. The Crocodile took all of your memories – not just the ones from Storybrooke, all of them, Swan. You didn't remember who you were! Then he stabbed you before walking away." He looked back to the pawnbroker and his bride. "I couldn't do anything."

Emma stepped toward him, "Killian… I'm right here, and I remember every moment of my life. Let's just sit out here then. I'll go get Ruby so she can come get our order."

"No! No, Swan, I can do that." Killian made his way toward the diner, "I know what you like. Hot cocoa and pancakes, right?"

Emma smiled, "You know me too well."

The pirate finally felt like he could smile as his heart warmed with her love, "Aye."

As he entered the diner, he saw Belle looking very distressed, tears forming in her eyes. Had the Crocodile finally come clean about the dagger? He turned away from the marital spat.

Then, "How could you do this, Rumple? How could you lie to me just before asking me to marry you? Is our marriage a lie too?" She shouted, the tears flowing freely now.

"Belle, please –" Rumple placated.

"NO!" She stood from the booth, "No, you don't get to do this. Not right now. I thought you trusted me! I thought…" She trembled, "I need some time."

She rushed out the door. From outside, Killian could hear voices. He knew Emma was trying to talk to Belle. Then…

"Leave me alone!" Belle shouted.

BAM! Against the side of the diner. Everyone rushed to the door, although Killian was the first one through the threshold.

"Swan!" He cried out when he saw her on the ground. Killian gathered her in his arms, "Swan, Emma, wake up!"

Her eyes fluttered open, "Who are you?" His heart froze. No, it was happening again. She struggled from his grip, leaving a red smear on his hand. She cringed, saw his hand, and then stared at him, "What did you do?"

"Emma, I –"

"Who's Emma? Who are you!?" She wrenched out of his grasp and fell back to the concrete.

Killian looked toward Granny's diner and saw the Crocodile standing there with his hands folded. He smirked a little, "And now you know what I went through with Belle. What goes around comes around."

"No…" Killian looked back at the woman he loved staring at him in fear, like the lost girl she had been before she'd accepted Storybrooke as her home. "No, please, I'll do anything if you just bring her back."

Gold turned his head slightly, and Killian saw a pudgy man next to him who was munching on a glazed sugar donut.

Suddenly everything went black.

**T**R*I*C*K*S*T*E*R

Killian awoke to a bright, sunny day. He had watched his Swan lose her memories and blame him so many, many times. It was like he couldn't get away from it. Someone was behind it, but when he confronted the Crocodile to exact vengeance for something that hadn't occurred, Emma had barged into the shop and had promptly gotten hit with a wayward spell, hit her head on the corner of a showcase, lost her memories, and blamed him for the shoulder injury she had sustained from a rusty nail. The glazed donut man stood across the street watching them.

They had gone to the docks to avoid the Dark One and Belle, but they showed up for some reason for a picnic. Emma had gone for a walk with Belle, leaving Killian in an awkward silence with the Crocodile. Moments later, there had been a scream. Killian and Gold had run to the scene. Both Emma and Belle were on the rocks; they had fallen. The glazed donut man stood at the top of the hill, watching them.

Belle was in tears and explained how she had lost her balance, had grabbed Emma, and dragged her down with her. Emma had hit her head hard and injured her shoulder.

So many others had happened since then.

The pirate now feared getting up in the morning, the repeat morning that had so much promise the first time through. He began analyzing each situation. Perhaps if he didn't get out of bed, Emma would be safe. He frowned, remembering glazed donut man appearing in every instance despite the fact that he shouldn't be there. Killian also didn't recognize the man from his observations during either of the two curses.

Then there was a knock at his door, and he groaned. Whoever it was should go away.

"Killian, I thought you'd be meeting me at Granny's for breakfast," Emma's voice came through the door and his heart panged with longing and pain.

He couldn't deny her, and he couldn't lie to her, so he opened the door. She never remembered the previous instances, the days and days of losing her memories, losing herself, and blaming him.

He opened the door, "Sorry, Swan. Just let me get dressed."

She openly stared for a moment, "Okay. I'll be waiting in the diner."

"No," He reached out and took her arm, practically yanking her into his room, "You can stay right where you are."

"Killian, what's wrong?" Emma asked, a slight flush coming to her cheeks.

He dressed, just basking in her presence, "I'm not sure. I'm still trying to figure it out."

He turned back to her once he was fully dressed. She was examining him, "You know that you can tell me anything."

"Aye. I know." He answered, "Say, why don't we head to your parents' for breakfast. I'm sure they would love it."

Emma frowned, but something in his demeanor told her to agree, "Okay. I just came from there, and they haven't gotten much sleep, so they might not be friendly company right now."

"It's alright, Swan," He said, opening the door.

As they headed toward the apartment, they ran into Gold and Belle. Emma smiled at them, "Hey, how are you two?" Killian had gone completely still as he hoped and prayed that what had happened all the previous times wouldn't happen again.

Belle smiled back, "I'm doing fine." She turned her gaze to Rumple and her smile widened, "We're doing fine."

"Heading to Granny's?" Emma asked.

"Of course. I can't resist Granny's Belgian waffles." Belle headed off toward Granny's, but Gold hung behind.

"Captain," he addressed Killian, "You need to watch and observe. He's very tricky, but he will falter." Gold raised his hand then, "I'm sorry, but I have no choice. The lesson's not learned, so I must follow the rules." With a flick of his fingers, Emma was on the ground, screaming.

Killian could only stare numbly at her as his nemesis tortured his love. Pain sliced through his heart. Regret and guilt began to drown him. Why wasn't he doing anything? Because there wasn't anything he could do. He'd seen this hundreds of times.

Then, a hook appeared in Rumple's hand and he stabbed Emma in the shoulder, leaving the weapon there. The Dark One looked to the Captain, "Find the discrepancy. Learn the lesson."

"What lesson?" Killian asked, his voice breaking, "What is this," he motioned to Emma, who was still convulsing, "supposed to teach me?" He looked up to the Crocodile, only to find he was not there. He looked back down at Emma as she woke.

He knelt down, dreading the words, but he couldn't leave her side. "Swan…" He said brokenly.

She looked up at him, "Who – who are you?"

Killian felt the pain course through him again, "Swan, I –" That's when he realized that his arm was suddenly attached to the hook imbedded in her shoulder, "No." He wrenched it out and stared at the appendage.

"You…" Emma stared at the bloody hook, "You did this. Who the hell are you!? Help!" She screamed.

Killian wanted to throw up. He wanted to cut the hook from his wrist like Rumplestilskin had done to his hand three hundred years ago.

On the far side of the street, was the man with the glazed sugar donut… except he wasn't eating a sugar donut. This time, it was a caramel roll.

Suddenly, everything went black.

**T**R*I*C*K*S*T*E*R

Killian opened his eyes to a bright sunny day. As soon as he remembered the Gold's warning and the discrepancy, he lurched out of bed and put on his leathers. He stormed straight into Granny's and grabbed the man who was munching on a glazed sugar donut.

"You and I need to talk," He sneered.

The pudgy glazed donut man looked absolutely terrified as Killian dragged him out the door, "What? I haven't done anything! What are you doing?"

If Killian had still had his hook, he would have put it to the man's throat. As things were, he could only choke him, "You're the only one who's been present every single time, and the only one where something's changed."

"I – no – you have the wrong guy!" The man choked out.

"Do I?" Killian's gaze burned with fury, "I don't think so. Last time, you were eating a caramel roll rather than a glazed donut."

The man breathed out a sigh, "Damn Rumplestiltskin, ruining my fun." Suddenly he shifted into a completely different person, thinner, blonde and with glittering golden eyes, and grinned, "Bravo, pirate. You found me."

"Who are you?"

"Weeeelll, that would be telling, wouldn't it?" He said, amused, "I'd really appreciate it if you'd let me go."

"No, not until I know what you're up to." Killian growled, "You've nearly killed and tortured the woman I love. I'll not let you go that easily."

The man continued smiling mischievously, "Well, I tried asking nicely." He snapped his fingers.

Everything went black.

**T**R*I*C*K*S*T*E*R

Killian awoke to a bright, sunny day. That man… he had really powerful magic, especially if he could force Rumplestiltskin to do his bidding. Or perhaps it had been a deal…

The pirate rubbed his face before sitting up in bed. He threw on his clothes, knowing what he had to do. He had to put a stop to this. Now. He couldn't bear seeing Emma lose her memories again and blame him. Although the last time had been a reprieve from that horrible nightmare, he hadn't even gotten a chance to see her and have her remember him and look at him with love.

He marched determinedly to Granny's diner. Emma was there waiting for him and she turned to him with a smile, "Good morning, Killian." She kissed him.

He kissed her back, "Please accept my apologies, Swan, but I have some things to deal with before we can have our breakfast." He looked around the diner and realized that the glazed donut man was nowhere in sight.

"Killian?" Emma questioned.

The pirate shook his head, "Never mind, Swan. Come, let's eat."

She frowned, "Okay."

The bell over the diner door tinkled and Gold and Belle walked in. Immediately, Killian was on his feet, approaching his long time nemesis. Belle stiffened beside her husband.

"Crocodile, I need to speak with you." Killian said.

"Whatever you have to say, pirate, can be said here." Gold replied.

Killian ground his teeth, "Fine." He told the pawnbroker exactly what was happening and watched as his eyes lit up with malicious glee.

"You've been targeted by a Trickster, Captain." He informed the pirate.

"A Trickster?"

"Yes, in this world, the most famous trickster is Loki of Norse Mythology, but there are many others."

"I see. And how do I kill this trickster?"

"Oh, that's a difficult task. It's much easier to learn the lesson he's trying to teach rather than kill him."

Killian considered, recalling that every single incident involved the Crocodile and/or Belle. It had to do something with them. And the manner in which he lost Emma every single time was eerily similar to how Rumplestilskin had lost Belle when he had still been looking for vengeance.

And Gold had apologized each time, sincerely. Something Killian realized he hadn't done for Belle. Sure he'd told her he was sorry, but he hadn't really meant it at the time. A twinge of guilt twisted in his heart.

"Ah, I see you've come to an epiphany." Gold observed, "Perhaps this time will be different." He looked over to Emma, "Or perhaps not." With a flick of his hand, the lights above her shattered, spraying her with glass as the fixture fell on her head. Gold looked back at Killian, "I'm sorry, Captain. You were not quick enough to avoid this."

The pirate stared in horror and noticed that there was strange man eating a caramel roll watching them looking a bit too pleased with himself. That's him. Killian's eyes narrowed. The man's eyes widened and…

Everything went black.

**T**R*I*C*K*S*T*E*R

Killian awoke to a bright, sunny day. He knew what he had to do to end this horrible, repetitive nightmare. The guilt had eaten away at him, knowing that like he had done with Ariel, he hadn't apologized properly to Belle for shooting her.

He headed down to Granny's, keeping an eye out for the new Mrs. Gold. He loitered outside the door nervously, hoping that she'd accept his apology. She'd once said that he had a rotten heart, and she'd been absolutely right. If he couldn't make this right, he'd find the Trickster and do something, beg perhaps, that he punish him and not the people he cared about.

He sat at the tables outside of Granny's and waited. Killian took out his flask and fiddled with it a little. Then he saw Emma approaching the diner, her smile as bright as the sun, "You didn't have to wait outside for me." She told him.

"I have some unfinished business to attend to," he explained, playing with her hair a little. He gave a small smile, "I'll join you once it's completed."

"I can wait out here with you." Emma said. Killian grimaced, fearing that he wouldn't be able to apologize to Belle before Emma lost her memories. She must have interpreted his expression wrong because she internalized a bit and added softly, "If you want."

"Oh Swan…" He murmured, "I would like you to stay." He ducked his head in shame. She deserved so much better than a dastardly pirate with a drinking problem.

Emma sat down beside him, a frown marring her lovely face, "What's wrong?"

"I must to apologize to Belle." He explained softly, "I know I did so before, but I realize now that it was far from sincere."

The Savior's eyebrows went up, "You spent an entire day with Belle researching, and you never thought to expand on your half-assed apology to her?"

Killian bowed his head. "I'm trying to make it right, Swan. I owe a lot of people apologies, most of whom are long dead now or in another realm." He stared at his flask. "At least I can make amends with the Lady Belle."

"Well, here's your chance." Emma motioned down the street, "Here she comes."

Killian stood as Mr. and Mrs. Gold approached, "Croc- err – Rumplestilskin, might a have a word with your lovely wife?" He asked, his nervousness showing easily through his voice.

Mr. Gold gave the pirate a distrustful stare, "Only if I am present."

Killian nodded, his eyes flicking to anywhere but the lady he would be addressing. Finally he let out a long breath and looked at her, "Lady Belle, I must beg your forgiveness for my actions at the town line. I was consumed with hatred and vengeance and couldn't see anything else except how to hurt the man who took everything from me. I not only endangered your life, but also caused you to lose all of your memories." He bowed his head, "Please accept my humblest apologies. As much as it pains me to say this, I must admit that in some areas Rumplestilskin – your husband – is a better man that me. Whatever punishment you deem necessary, I will endeavor to complete it. I am at your mercy, my lady."

Belle blinked, shocked at the apology. "I don't know what to say. I can see you're different – less angry. And I'm glad you chose to help all of us, including Rumple. Perhaps you could stop by the library and help me organize the books there. Having another set of hands would make things go faster," She smiled slyly then, "and it could help out with your modern education."

Killian nodded, "Whatever you deem necessary, Lady Belle, I will endeavor to fulfill the debt I owe you."

"Well, well, Captain." Rumple appraised the pirate, "I never thought I'd see the day you admitted I was better than you."

"Don't get use to it, Crocodile." Killian snapped back.

Then he heard clapping from the door to Granny's. Killian looked up and saw the Trickster smiling widely, "Well done, pirate. Now you can finally start really redeeming yourself. You can apologize. I never thought I'd get through to you. I've only had one other person more stubborn than you, but that's another story entirely."

"Who the hell are you?" Emma asked, taking a defensive stance.

"Well, beautiful," He grinned, vanished from the doorway and appeared in front of her, causing her to step back a little, "I'm a Trickster. Thought I'd come by and teach some assholes a lesson. I only found one that really needed it. The rest only took a few tricks to get them weeping and wailing apologies."

"Hello Trickster," Gold said nonchalantly.

"Dark One." The Trickster observed the man, "Never thought I'd see a Dark One edging on the gray area," his golden gaze turned to Belle, "She makes you better."

Rumple turned to his wife with a loving smile, "Yes, she does. She sees the best in me and brings that out."

"Well, keep it up. I'd hate to have to come back and teach you a lesson."

Gold's eyes narrowed, "Is that a threat?"

"Oh, Rumple, Rumple," the Trickster waggled a finger at him, "It's a promise. You know you can't hold a candle to my power." The Dark One pulled a sour face, causing the Trickster to laugh, "As long as our dear heroes keep the reformed villains in line, I doubt I'll have to return."

"Oh, we will." Belle linked her arm with Rumple's and looked to Emma, whose eyebrows had reached her hairline.

"Well, as fun as this has been, I've got work to do, asshole to teach lessons too, candy to eat, and," he grinned lasciviously, "well, lots to do. Toodles!" He vanished in a faint rustle, leaving the Dark One and his Lady, and the Savior and her pirate alone outside of Granny's.

"Okay, that was… weird." Emma gawked at the spot where the Trickster had stood.

"It's not out of the ordinary for him to do such things," Gold informed them. He took Belle's hand and they went into Granny's.

Emma looked to Killian, who looked worn out. She reached out to touch his arm, "Hey, you okay?"

He looked over at her and placed his hand over hers, "I will be, Swan. I just know I have a lot to make up for."

"And I'll be with you every step of the way." She smiled at him before she kissed him. Once she drew back Emma said, "Now how about breakfast."

"Aye. Breakfast sounds nice."

They headed inside Granny's to start a brand new day.


	7. The Gentlemen

**Aoi Dragon: I absolutely love _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_, so since I did a tribute to _Supernatural_, this one's for _Buffy_. This is the song and premise I used: www. youtube watch?v= lUnGyBz29ZM ... And an explanation as to why this would work for _Once _(starting at 6:00): www. youtube watch?v= 6seo2_ldOBw**

**Enjoy!**

*T*H*E**G*E*N*T*L*E*M*E*N

She was wandering through a very empty Storybrooke at night, and everything was silent except for a single voice humming a childish "Ring-Around-the-Rosie" type tune. She was searching for the source of the song, and it seemed to get louder as she neared the clock tower.

Reaching for her gun, she made her way inside and up into the gears. The tower seemed a bit odd because it had long scaffolding hallways. Then the humming changed to singing as she searched.

"Can't even shout.

Can't even cry,

The Gentlemen

are coming by."

She continued to search through the halls as the child's voice got louder.

"Looking in windows,

Knocking on doors,

They need to take seven

and they might take yours."

She rounded another corner, and saw a girl - like one of the twins from _The Shining_ - standing at the end of the hall. She was holding something.

"Can't call to mom."

Closer, and closer... She finally could make out what the girl was holding: A strange looking box with intricate symbols on it.

"Can't say a word.

"You're gonna die screaming

but you won't be heard."

Just as she was about to reach the little girl, the box opened and it was like her breath was sucked out of her lungs. She squeezed her eyes shut at the sucking sensation for a moment. When she opened them, the little girl was gone and in her place was a hideous, pale bald man-thing with a huge, almost Joker-like grin on its face. It reached out with a spindly hand toward her heart and...

Emma woke with a start, tangled in her sheets. _What the hell was that?_ She asked herself as she wiped the sweat from her brow.

She would find out exactly what the hell that was twenty-four hours later.


	8. Once Upon a Sleepy Hollow 2

**Aoi Dragon: This is the scene I wanted to write originally. So after binge watching the first four episodes of the new season of _Sleepy Hollow_, I decided to write it. Why not? So, here it is. Read, enjoy, review!**

**ONCE*SLEEPY HOLLOW**

Killian walked into Granny's diner and noticed Ichabod Crane sitting at one of the booths engrossed in a novel. The pirate smirked. He loved to annoy this guy. Ever since he'd come to town through the portal to fight the Headless Horseman, Crane had taken an extreme dislike to Killian all because he was a pirate.

He approached the booth and sat down, "Hello mate." Killian grinned.

Crane glanced up with a cool gaze, "Captain." He leaned back a little, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Oh, I just saw you sitting here alone and thought we could talk," The pirate answered, "man to man."

"I have nothing to say to you, pirate," Crane scoffed, "except this: I am not, nor shall I ever be, your mate. Good day, Captain."

Ignoring the dismissal, Killian leaned forward curiously, "What are you reading?" He saw the header on each page as "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." He laughed a little, "Looks like you've finally gotten a chance to look yourself up. Is it accurate?"

Crane grimaced, a look of disgust passing across his face before replying, "To put it simply, and quite kindly, no."

"You should see my portrayal in my story." Killian winced, "It's absolutely ridiculous. And, well, I wouldn't actually call it my story. More Pan's very twisted and very inaccurate story. Bloody demon child."

The other man's head shot up, "Demon?"

"Not in reality, mate." The pirate placated, remembering that this man fought against actual demons. So he elaborated, "He's actually Rumplestiltskin's father. Don't know how that works, though. Probably some eternal youth deal."

"Rumplestiltskin?" Crane arched an eyebrow.

Killian smirked, "Bit after your time?"

"Yes, I suppose so." Crane looked thoughtful for a moment, then startled, "How do you know about -"

"You being out of your depth? Out of time?"

"Yes."

Killian smiled, "I have some experience in that department."

"Oh really?"

"I may look like a native of Storybrooke," the pirate motioned to his clothes, "but I was never part of the original curse that gave everyone their alternate modern memories."

"Then that begs the question as to why a man of your... repute," Crane almost sneered the word, " is staying in such a place when you could return to your homeland?"

Killian smiled a gentle smile, "I found something to fight for."

The other man's head tilted to the side, analyzing, "No, not something... someone."

"Quite perceptive."

"I've had to read many a ruffian in my time. I've become quite skilled at it."

"Aye." He called over the waitress then, "Ruby! Hot chocolate with cinnamon, one for me and my mate," He turned to Crane, "My treat, as they say nowadays."

"I am aware of the phrase, thank you, Captain. You need not pay for my drink. I am quite alright," He paused, "and I'm not your mate."

Killian waved his hand, "No need to thank me, mate. I think you'll like this drink."

"Isn't this the same refreshment favored by the Lady Swan?" Crane asked. When Killian only arched an eyebrow at him, Crane knew exactly who he fought for, "It's the Lady Swan, isn't it?"

"Pardon me?" Pretending he hadn't heard him the first time.

"Lady Swan." Crane repeated, his lips twitching into a smirk, "She's the reason you turned from your dastardly ways."

The pirate was silent for a moment, before a light smile cross his face, "Aye." He said with a nod. Ruby came over with the hot chocolate. "Thanks, love."

"No prob." Ruby smiled toothily, "Say hi to Emma for me next time you see her." She winked.

Killian's smile widened, "I intend to say much more than hello, darling."

"Yeah, I know." Ruby tapped her nose.

"Interesting." The other man stroked his beard and stared at Killian. Then his eyebrows rose, "You're in love with her."

Killian's smile widened, "I'll admit to that freely."

"In that case, I may have mildly misjudged your intentions."

That's when Killian's phone buzzed. He struggled to get it out of his jeans pocket, "Bloody clothes." He muttered as he fiddled the device and finally pressed the button, "Yes, hello?" A smile crossed his face, "Swan, to what do I owe the pleasure?" He nodded, "I see. Then I will meet you there." He put away the phone.

"Well, it seems you've mastered some modern technology." Crane looked amused.

"Aye, well, it's necessary in this town."

"What other aspects of this 21st Century have you mastered?"

Killian shrugged, "Not much else is needed."

"Oh, there's so much more." Crane smirked a little.

"Well, perhaps we can speak about it at another time. Your Horseman has been spotted, and has killed one of the townsfolk."

"Well, why didn't you say so? Let's go."

Killian stood from the booth, "Aye." He tossed a couple doubloons onto the table before straightening his leather jacket.

"How old are you anyway?" Crane asked as they made their way out of the diner.

The pirate glanced at the colonial man, "A bit over three hundred. You?"

"A little over two hundred fifty."

"Well, then, we'll figure out this modern world eventually, mate." Killian smirked.

"In due time, I agree," Crane replied, "and I am not your mate."

The pirate continued to smirk, "Yet."


	9. No Strings

**Aoi Dragon: Another mysterious villain. We have three of the four main pairings in here, but our dear villain knows better than to go up against Rumple. Enjoy and R&R!**

They had been missing for almost twenty-four hours – David, Killian, and Robin. Whisked away in the night.

Snow had been the first to find out when Neal woke, crying and David (since it was his turn) hadn't gone to quiet the babe. Emma was second. Killian was always at her side. Always. He never left her, ever, had promised not to do so. Regina was third. Since her reconciliation with Robin, she had visited the Merry Men's camp frequently or he visited her mansion. When he didn't and wasn't at the camp, Regina became concerned.

The three men were nowhere to be seen. Missing. Poof. Gone.

Snow's first instinct was to call Emma to ask if he was at the Station with her. Emma's first instinct was to confront Gold, who denied any involvement. Regina… well, her re-relationship was so new that she didn't really know what to think and withdrew into her vault to try a location spell (which didn't work for some strange reason). It wasn't until Snow and Emma brought her back out to search for them, that they realized that this event was far bigger than just their men wandering off.

It was midday when the fog rolled in, which was not out of the ordinary for a seaside town like Storybrooke, but something was different about this fog. It was thick, so thick that no one could see more than two feet in front of them.

By dusk, Regina had had enough, and cast a spell to force the fog to disperse. There in the road just outside of Granny's stood their men – the prince, the pirate, and the outlaw.

"Charming!" Snow called out and ran toward him. She stopped short however when she noticed that his head was bowed and his eyes were closed. His breathing was even and calm. "Charming?" She reached out to touch him when he suddenly drew his sword from his side. Killian drew his cutlass and Robin readied his crossbow.

Without saying anything, David lurched forward and swung his blade at Snow. Killian rushed Emma, and Robin show an arrow at Regina, who caught it easily.

"What do you think you're doing?" Regina raged, snapping the bolt in two and glaring at the man she thought loved her.

Charming and Killian swung their swords wildly as Robin clumsily loaded another bolt. Again they attacked.

"Killian!" Emma shouted at him, "What the hell!" She barely dodged his hook. She saw a glimpse of… something, a flash.

Snow was almost crying, "David, please, listen to me! You need to stop!"

The former Evil Queen sneered, "Enough of this." She pushed forward both her hand and sent the men flying backwards.

The blast was supposed to knock them out, but the slowly swayed to their feet again. The trio stood there for a moment, grips tightening on weapons. Their heads were still bowed and their eyes were still closed.

"What's wrong with them?" Emma asked Regina.

"Does it look like I know, Swan?" The other woman snapped back.

Snow tried to approach her husband again, "Charming, David, wake up." She demanded, "I need you. We need you."

Emma blinked, "They're sleeping?"

Her mother shot a glance over her shoulder, "Yes, but I don't know how they could be fighting if they're like this." She looked back to David, "Wake up, honey." She reached for him again, but his hand shot up and encircled her wrist. His grip tightened, "David! You're hurting me. Let go. David!"

Emma raced forward to help her mother. Whatever spell the men were under, they had no control over their actions. Just as she was about to reach Snow, Killian's blade stood in her way. Emma cursed and had to step back so the edge wouldn't cut her throat.

"Alright, that's it." Regina waved her hand toward her and the weapons wrenched out of the men's hands. That's when something strange happened. The two swords and crossbows floated, it looked more like they were dangling from a string, before returning to their owners' hands. This action did, however, release Snow from Charming's grasp.

"Are you okay?" Emma asked her mother and Snow stumbled back.

There were tears in her eyes, "Yeah, I think so."

The Savior looked to Regina again, "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Strings?"

"Yeah. We'll have to cut them."

Laughter erupted from David's throat; only it wasn't his charming laugh. The three women looked to the prince. "If you cut the strings, your loved ones will die." David's mouth hung open as the words came out, but never formed any of them. It was like he was some sort of phonograph,.

"Let them go!" Emma demanded.

"No." The sound came from Killian's open mouth, although it was the same voice. "I'm having too much fun playing with them to give them back." David started moving awkwardly, in movements that no human should ordinarily be able to do, "You see, I have complete control. They will not wake until I cut the strings. They are mine to do with as I please, to play with as I please."

"You need to let them go right now!" Snow stepped next to her daughter.

"Or what?" The voice came from David again. "What will you do? You can't cut the strings. You don't know where I am, and you don't know who I am. What can you do?"

"I will hunt you down," Regina sneered, "and force you to do what I want."

The voice came from Robin, laughing, "I'd like to see you try."

"Oh we will." Emma put in, "We will find a way, and we will get them back."

The voice was in Killian again, "Well, then, here is a happy little threat: Don't sleep. Don't even nap. Sleep and your mine. My strings will catch you faster than you can believe. So don't get knocked out, don't accidentally faint, and don't sleep. Good luck." The three men retreated a little, step-by-step, and less clumsy than before. It was stiffer, more precise. "For the time being," There was a switch to David, "I will keep my puppets. I will have so much fun using them to cause chaos."

Then, whoever was in charge of the strings pulled harshly, and with a blurred flash, the three men vanished.

The three women stood their blinking. Snow fell to her knees, with her hand over her heart, "David," she nearly sobbed.

"Come on, Mom." Emma consoled, "Let's get back to the apartment. We need to figure out who we're up against."

Snow nodded and accepted her daughter's hand. Regina brushed off her pants suit, "Well, I'm heading back to the vault to see if there's anything on magical puppet strings."

"Good. We'll need that to free them." Emma nodded, "Hopefully, no one else will get involved."

Regina's lips thinned, "Yes. Hopefully."

**Aoi Dragon: Think of the guys' movements like the voodoo corpse fight scene from _Stardust_. Or if you haven't seen that movie, Bloodbending from _Avatar: The Last Airbender_.**


	10. At Fault

**Aoi Dragon: This chapter one shot is another reference to _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_. Perhaps those of you who know that show can figure out who/what it is. Here's a hint because I am not completely evil, unlike this villain. Please read and review!**

**F1E-F1E-F1E**

Regina finally returned home from a night out with Robin. He had to return to camp to take care of Roland, but all of that would soon be solved. They were getting close to... something. She smiled to herself as she turned to her front mirror to put down her keys. When she looked up, her face went utterly pale with shock.

"Why didn't you save me?" He asked.

Regina spun around, "Daniel?"

No one was there.

F1E-F1E-F1E

Charming had woken to Neal's cries and had gone to tend his son. The baby had a dirty diaper, so after disposing of the waste, giving his son a fresh diaper, and singing to him a bit to help him fall back to sleep, David went into the bathroom to wash his hands.

He yawned deeply as he turned off the faucet. As he dried his hands, he looked in the mirror and froze.

"Why didn't you save me?" She asked.

Charming spun around, "Mother?"

No one was there.

F1E-F1E-F1E

Killian couldn't sleep. He never could sleep without Emma by his side - which had only been a recent development, but now he couldn't sleep.

He walked into his bathroom to wash his face or perhaps take another cold shower. He sighed, running his hand through his dark hair before looking into the mirror. He went completely pale.

"Why didn't you save me?" She asked.

Killian spun around with a shout, "Milah?!"

F1E-F1E-F1E

Belle awoke from the nightmare she'd had ever since she used the dagger to control her husband and had stared into the Snow Queen's mirror. In the dream, Belle had used the dagger so selfishly, acting as dark as her husband had been when at his most wrathful. It still made her shudder because, despite everything, she still loved him.

She got up and headed to the bathroom to get a drink of water and attempt to clear the nightmare from her mind. As she looked up from the running faucet, she froze and her mouth hung open.

"Why didn't you save me?" She asked.

Belle spun around, "Mother?"

No one was there.

F1E-F1E-F1E

Robin couldn't be happier. He had spent nearly an entire night with his True Love, his Soul Mate. He did, however, need to return home to his son. Roland was already sleeping by the time he had returned, and there was only a small pang of regret that he hadn't been there to tuck his boy into bed.

Regina had set a mirror close to where he slept, just in case she needed to reach him. Robin still hadn't gotten a phone, like the pirate had from the Savior. The communication devices were more confusing than the new weaponry!

He looked into the mirror Regina had given him, a smile lighting his face for a moment until he saw something that made it fade, and his expression turned to shock.

"Why didn't you save me?" She asked.

Robin spun around, "Marion?!"

No one was there.

F1E-F1E-F1E

In the wee hours of the morning, Snow awoke to her son's cries. She hushed her little boy and sang softly to him as she prepared a feeding. As he had his meal, Snow continued humming and rocking him. Once he was finished, she made sure to burp him before quickly checking his diaper - clean - and returning to the bedroom.

She went into the bathroom to wash her hands and get a drink of water herself. As she looked up into the mirror, she nearly dropped her cup.

"Why didn't you save me?" She asked.

Snow spun around, "Mother?!"

No one was there.

F1E-F1E-F1E

Rumple had spent many night alone since he had messed up his marriage. He had wanted to do what was best. He had wanted to be completely free to love Belle without worrying about being controlled and being forced to hurt her, thanks to the dagger. Unfortunately, she had refused him. When she found out he had lied about the dagger and planned to build their future on the blood of the people she cared about and one she didn't (although she hadn't wished ill on that blasted pirate like she should have!), Belle had demanded a separation so he could sort out his priorities.

However, he was a coward. He'd never admit that out loud, but it was why he clung to his power with all his might. Without it, he was just a coward, like his first wife had said. Nothing but a weak, cowardly old crocodile.

So he spent his nights awake, spinning straw into gold like he had for decades prior to meeting Belle and wanting her there with him. He wished he could just let go of his addiction, but the dagger's hold was too much and he had to keep it in his hands, and his alone.

He looked in the mirror sitting across from his spinning wheel and was suddenly on his feet, staring.

"Why didn't you save me?" He asked.

It was like a punch to the gut and Rumple spun around as he said, "Bae."

No one was there.

F1E-F1E-F1E

Emma awoke at dawn. She'd had a restless night. It seemed that the only times she actually slept well was when Killian was beside her, but it was so new that, him being the gentleman that he is, never pushed her into sleeping in the same bed unless she invited him. Stupid pirate. Didn't he know that once invited, always invited unless told otherwise.

She sighed and leaned back in her pillows. The one next to hers still smelled like him - like the sea with a bit of rum spice and leather. Emma smiled to herself, feeling happier than she had in a long, long time.

Finally, she dragged herself out from under the covers and went into the bathroom to brush her teeth. After she leaned down to spit out the last of the toothpaste, she washed her toothbrush and looked up into the mirror.

"Why didn't you save me?" He asked.

Emma dropped her toothbrush in the sink and spun around, "Graham!?"

No one was there.

F1E-F1E-F1E

It had decided to choose a face. Sure, he hadn't been dead for long. In fact, he wasn't dead at all. His heart had only stopped beating for a mere moments before he was resuscitated. Still, it was enough to be able to take his face.

It grinned, white teeth and blue eyes flashing as the memories of his too long, but deliciously dark and tragic life came forth. Oh, this was going to be fun. Its little messengers, tendrils of itself, really, had already been sent out to start the seed of pain in each of the most powerful people in the town, along with their loved ones. The only one it couldn't figure out was the child. It would have to watch the child closely to make sure he didn't ruin its plans.

It raised its dark-haired head to watch as the sleepy town awoke from its slumber. The pain had begun, and the final results would be glorious.


End file.
